COMPASSION FATIGUE: THE COST OF CARING · 2020. 7. 16. · caring Exposure to the trauma of others...

COMPASSION FATIGUE: THE COST OF CARING

COMPASSION FATIGUE: THE

COST OF CARING

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1. WHAT IS IT?STRESS

Reactional – over engagement“Too much”Emotions overactiveProduces urgencyLeads to anxietyDamage is physical

BURNOUTReactional - disengagement from work - emptyGradual onset, cumulativeEmotions bluntedProduces helplessnessLeads to depressionDamage is emotional

C FRelational: Consequence of caringExposure to the trauma of othersEmotional expenditure exceeds ability to recoverSudden onsetPsychological, physical

VICARIOUS TRAUMA

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TRAUMA STRESS

• Primary trauma– We exposed

• Secondary Trauma– Collective Trauma– Local trauma: violence, death and abuse– Working trauma-adjacent – Trauma becomes your own

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STRESS & BURNOUT

SECONDARY TRAUMA

COMPASSION FATIGUE

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Stages of Compassion Fatigue

Enthusiasm and hope

Irritability, hopelessness

Withdrawal and isolation

Quitting

Pathology or Renewal and maturation

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2. SO WHAT?90% of new doctors under age 40 suffer some of the symptoms

86.9% of emergency room personnel

61% - 80% of clinicians

83% hospice nurses

80-90% OF NGO AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS OFFICERS ARE AT RISK

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Good people are like candles;they burn themselves up to give others light.Turkish Proverb

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WHAT ARE YOUR STRESSORS?ARE YOU AT RISK?

HOW DOES THIS IMPACT CD WORK?

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Answer True or False 1. Personal concerns commonly intrude on my work role.

2. Family members, friends, other colleagues seem to lack understanding.

3. I find even small changes enormously draining.

4. I can't seem to recover quickly after association with daily trauma or a troubling event.

5. Association with any type of traumatic or troubling event affects me very deeply.

6. Other people’s stress affects me deeply.

7. I have lost my sense of hopefulness.

8. I feel vulnerable all the time.

9. I feel overwhelmed by unfinished personal business. SCORE:____/ 9Camber Coaching Pty (Ltd)

2. SO WHAT?

WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF COMPASSION

FATIGUE?

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SYMPTOMS OF COMPASSION FATIGUE

Spiritual

Mental

EmotionalPhysical

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MENTALLY

• Perfectionism• Controlling• Spacing out due to mental fatigue• Difficulty concentrating, forgetful• Self-doubt• Flashbacks• DENIAL • Can’t switch off

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EMOTIONALLY

• Emotional rollercoaster• Overwhelmed, anxious• GUILT• Rage , easily triggered• Self-contempt• Decreased empathy• Depleted and irritable• Isolation, withdrawal, disengagement

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PHYSICALLY

• No appetite and lack of sleep• Ailments: Headaches, weight loss• Procrastination• Increased errors• Decreased productivity• Self-medicating and addictions• Chronic physical and mental exhaustion • Sexual issues

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SPIRITUALLY

• Crisis of meaning• Loss of purpose• Lack of satisfaction• Questioning religious beliefs

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COMMUNITY DEVELOPERS: LOOK OUT FOR

• Disengagement • Lack of desire for work leading to absenteeism• Increased levels of interpersonal conflict• Aggressive behavior• Lack of trust• Colleagues feeling overwhelmed or unable to

finish their work• Resistance to change• A general apathy towards the REIPPPP sector

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2. SO WHAT?

IS COMPASSION FATIGUE AN ETHICAL

ISSUE?

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• Self-impairment

• Impairment of Colleagues that interferes with community development effectiveness

• Fatigue impairment

• Ethical impairment

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• Fatigue impairment – Poor judgment and slow reaction times– Mental exhaustion, compromised decisions– Decline in performance– Increased error and accident rate– Micro-sleep incidents– Self-medication– Withdrawal from community

• Ethical Impairment

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3. WHAT NOW?

• A – AIRWAY

• B – BREATHING

• C – CIRCULATION

• D - DRUGS

PUT ON YOUR OXYGEN MASK

FIRST.YOU ARE NO

GOOD TO OTHERS IF YOU ARE INJURED

YOURSELF

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HOW DID ROB RECOVER?

Applied CPR to himself

• A: Awareness• B: Balance• C: Connections• D: Developed Resilience and Dreams

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ABCD’S OF RECOVERY AND PREVENTION for COMMUNITY

DEVELOPMENT PRACTITIONERS

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A = AWARENESS• Are you exposed to

primary and secondary trauma?

• Are you aware of your own woundedness

• Are you displaying symptoms?

• What are your triggers?

“Your capacity to lead is not just skill based, but

also based on your ability to HEAL from

your own WOUNDING and TRAUMA”

Nomfundo Mogapi, CSVR

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B = BALANCE and BREATH

• Strive for balance– Take breaks– Digital breaks– Exercise and heathy eating

• Be self-compassionate• Boundaries: Rigid, porous or healthy?• Believe the positives: I’m a game changer• Breathe

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C = CONNECTIONS and CELEBRATIONS

• Connect: – Own wounding / trauma– Self, vision, values,

passion– family, colleagues,

supervisor• Coaching• Create a positive support

system • Craft a passion• Celebrate

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• Resilience, the ability to bounce back, is the antidote to compassion fatigue

• How?– Debrief– Focus is on your purpose / dream– Be discerning in your empathy – Develop applicable emotional tools – Practice self-care and balance– Reach out for support– Create Time to Think

• Dare to dream

D = DEVELOP RESILIENCE and DREAM

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SECTOR SUPPORT

• Start the conversation and create a safe space to talk• Utilize counsellors and coaches, set healthy boundaries• Develop emotionally healthy tools• Encourage and appreciate each other: Time to Think• Celebrate

WHY?• Healthier Community Development Practitioners mean– Better community intervention outcomes– Greater impact in the sector– Happier personal lives

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SUMMARYWHAT? CF results from helping people who

are experiencing trauma or suffering

SO WHAT? An Occupational HAZZARD – 80%Cognitive, emotional, physical and behavioural impactsIt is an ethical issue

WHAT NOW? AwarenessBalanceConnectionDevelop Resilience

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• “Self-care, a rich personal life, and support in our in our private and professional lives may be the greatest measures of protection from

compassion fatigue that we can give to ourselves”

Tracy Warton: Compassion Fatigue: Being an Ethical Social Worker

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WHO WILL YOU CHOOSE TO BE?

• Self-awareness, awake• Ability to “ukugona”-create a relational

home• Ability to contain own emotional reaction• Ability contain others emotional reaction• Ability to hold and tolerate contradicting

and uncomfortable messages

PEACE CARRIERS

• Asleep: lack of self awareness• Make the pain unbearable• Gets triggered: inability to contain and

regulate emotional reaction• Inability to contain others emotional reactions• Trauma informed coping strategies• Intolerance of dissenting opinion

TRAUMA CARRIERS

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QUESTIONS?

kim@cambercoaching.com082-683-0334